Thanksgiving Day, The Year of Our Lord, 2017.

Amidst a year with catastrophic hurricanes, earthquakes and fires scattered throughout unceasing political strife and turmoil,  fears of conflict and terrorism we gather to give thanks.

The secularization of what was once a national holiday for giving thanks to God has, for many, become a time of a very humanistic thanksgiving for..self.  While we have much to be grateful for in each other and for ourselves to deny praise and thanksgiving to God is to embrace a tragic idolatry with deadly peril.  This climate change of the soul is evident in the sorrows and afflictions we face in our times.

Yet we have the promise, the hope, the opportunity  of returning in becoming, being a people THANK~FULL to God, our creator, Savior, LORD of all.

In the words of a Responsorial Psalm from the Readings for Masses of Thanksgiving we read:

R. (2bc) Lord, I thank you for your faithfulness and love.

I will give thanks to you, O LORD, with all my heart,
for you have heard the words of my mouth;
in the presence of the angels I will sing your praise;
I will worship at your holy temple
and give thanks to your name.
R. Lord, I thank you for your faithfulness and love.

Because of your kindness and your truth;
for you have made great above all things
your name and your promise.
When I called, you answered me;
you built up strength within me.
R. Lord, I thank you for your faithfulness and love.

All the kings of the earth shall give thanks to you, O LORD
when they hear the words of your mouth;
And they shall sing of the ways of the LORD
“Great is the glory of the LORD
R. Lord, I thank you for your faithfulness and love.  [Psalm 138:1-2ab, 2cde-3, 4-5]